Cynthia Tucker: To win, Obama must ID which Romney he faces

6:12 PM,
Oct. 5, 2012

Cynthia Tucker

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Cynthia Tucker
Universal UClick

The Mitt Romney who showed up on a debate stage at the University of Denver last week was a commanding figure - warm, engaging, polished and smart. He was the missing Mitt, the one little seen since the Republican primaries began.

This was the Romney who had governed Massachusetts as an enlightened moderate, embracing the art of compromise and working with Democrats to pass significant legislation, such as a universal health-care bill. That Romney eschewed hard-right stances on social issues, steering away from the abortion wars and pointedly refusing to bash gays. (I can recall that ...